Releasing the full work phone records of embattled Massachusetts State Police Michael Proctor, who became a subject of controversy for his role in the Karen Read murder trial, could jeopardize other cases, the Norfolk County District Attorney's Office said in a filing.
The question of whether to release those records has now become part of the ongoing Read case, tied to Proctor's testimony as the lead investigator during the first trial. During that testimony, it came out that he made inappropriate comments about Read and the investigation in text messages to friends, family, and colleagues, including his supervisors.
Among the concerning messages were disparaging remarks about Read's medical conditions, and said he had found "no nudes so far" when going through Read's phone.
A judge declared a mistrial in the Read case in July, but the prosecution has vowed to retry the case. Read is accused of hitting and killing John O'Keefe, her Boston police officer boyfriend, with her SUV in January 2022. But her defense argued she was the victim of a police cover-up. With Proctor's credibility now questioned, the fallout could affect not just Read's case but other open investigations.
Proctor remains under investigation and suspended without pay from the Massachusetts State Police.
In the new filing, the Norfolk DA said they were provided with the data from Proctor's work cell phone in August, as well as content from his work cloud account in September. However despite heightened public interest in the case, they say the release of the information as discovery in the Read case could "jeapordize open investigations, compromise the privacy and safety of civilians, and thus be contrary to the interests of justice."
Proctor was also a lead investigator in other high-profile cases, including the death of Ana Walshe, the Cohasset mother whose husband is accused of killing her and then hiding her dismembered body. With some cases yet to go to trial, impacts are possible on a significant list of cases.
The Norfolk DA said the office is "in the process of ascertaining how to determine what - if any - information on Trooper Proctor's work phone or cloud account is discoverable in this or other cases."
